I am Consciously Curious
I am Consciously Curious is a Chicago based podcast that dissects passionate individuals in various industries. The goal is to share their stories to inspire you to cultivate meaning within your own space. If you are interested in coming on or know someone that would be great for the podcast, please message us on fb/ig: @iamconsciouslycurious
Episodes
170 episodes
169. No BS Wine Education with Slik Wines' Founder ft. Marie Cheslik
Our next guest provides a down to earth approach to wine education and she’s coming out with a book on how to read a wine label. She has channeled her love of hospitality as a nurse and a sommelier at a 1 Star Michelin restaurant. We reflect on...
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2:06:51
168. Melding Various Interests As A Multidisciplinary Artist ft. Alyssa Low
Our next guest is a designer and multidisciplinary artist. She’s worked with brands like Good Things Vending [Shoutout Steph Krim], The Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks, and Fire, The Chicago Marathon, and most recently Babe’s Sports Bar. We reflect o...
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1:35:18
167. ER Vet Nurse Cooks Vegan Food For Gordon Ramsay ft. Courtney Fraley
Our next guest is passionate on all things animals. She is an ER Vet Nurse as well as the author for her blog, Faraway Kitchen, where she shares vegan recipes from around the world. She was recently a contestant on Season 15 of MasterChef. We d...
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1:51:02
166. Holey Dough & Co. ft. Jake Rubin
Our next guest is riding the high of Eeeeeatscon this last weekend. He’s been consistently selling out of his weekly preorders despite increasing available quantities. The bagels have a nice “knock knock” crust to them and upon ripping them apa...
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1:36:01
165. Coming Out in More Ways Than One ft. Alvis Huynh
Our next guest is the Chef and Founder of Về lại which is currently a Vietnamese and Lao pop-up filled with themes of nostalgia and homestyle cooking. Coming from hard-working blue collar immigrants, Alvis had a strong work ethic, and despite f...
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2:06:20
164. Exploring the Filipino Renaissance ft. Joe Fontelera
Our next guest is the co-owner and Chef behind Boonie’s. Joe reflects on his Filipino-American upbringing, finding the culinary path, and eventually leaning into the Filipino culinary world. We chat about working on yourself, following your int...
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1:41:20
163. Tilly Bagel Shop ft. Hannah Tillett-Banaszak
Our next guest is one half of Tilly Bagel Shop in the South Loop and now in the West Loop. Hannah comes on to share how the bagel shop came to be. From a love of blueberry bagels her dad would bring on Sundays to staying busy during the pandemi...
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1:30:10
162. Maintaining the Lost Art of Hand Painted Signs ft. Ches Perry [Right Way Signs]
Our next guest has been hand painting signs since 1970. I can’t help but think about him every time I drive west on the Kennedy expressway and peer over to the roof of the Salt Shed. He did that! Join us as we reflect on how he took a leap of f...
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1:20:39
161. Full Circle Moments with Andrew Lim of Perilla Fare and Steakhouse
Our next guest is the Executive Chef and Partner of Perilla Fare and Steakhouse. Andy opens up about not being Korean enough or American enough and how he ultimately found his voice as a person and as a Chef. He was initially tapped as a consul...
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2:08:25
160. Playing The Long Game Beyond Chef Life ft. Brian Jupiter
Our next guest is the Executive Chef and Owner of Frontier, Ina Mae Tavern and Packaged Goods, as well as Migos Fine Foods. He has successfully embedded southern comfort food into Chicago. We reflect on his journey from New Orleans to Miami and...
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1:55:23
159. More Than Michelin Stars ft. Simon Davies
Our next guest traded eleven years at three Michelin-starred Alinea for something money can't buy: balance, agency, and intimacy. Simon Davies discovered this new path immediately after leaving Chicago's temple of molecular gastronomy as Execut...
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1:47:15
158. Balanced Hospitality ft. Stevan Miller
Our next guest is the Beverage Director at Esmé. He’s inquisitive, playful, and balanced. We reflect on his journey through hospitality from the earlier days at Burger King and Starbucks to earning his stripes at the now closed Claudia and even...
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1:40:29
157. Increasing Access to High Quality Oysters ft. Motorshucker
Our next guests are the partners of Motorshucker. A mobile oyster bar that currently pops up at places like Queen Mary Tavern, Easy Does It, and Bisous. You’ve seen photos and maybe even tried some of their seafood towers, crab rolls, or motorm...
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2:10:00
156. Modern Korean Supper Club, Haru Haru ft. Junho Lee
Our next guest is intuitive and ambitious. He hosts a modern Korean supper club experience called Haru Haru which means “day by day." The intimate nature of pop ups and private dinners allow him to hold space and tell stories that complement hi...
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1:24:22
155. Effortlessly Intentional Menswear ft. Jabari Sandifer
Our next guest is introspective and level-headed. He’s had an interest in men’s fashion and styling from an early age. He was on a successful path in collegiate basketball, but an ACL tear led him to reevaluate other interests. These days, he c...
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1:12:32
154. Living Your Truth and Radical Traceability ft. Annie Xiang [Volition Tea]
Our next guest is tenacious and thoughtful. She’s a mother of two boys and the Founder/Owner of Volition Tea. A specialty tea company that highlights single origin organic teas primarily from China. She’s double downed on the importance of trac...
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1:43:45
153. From Flunking 6th Grade to Cultivating a Thriving Coffee Community ft. Raoul Adwan [Thrd. Coffee Co.]
Our next guest is gentle, thoughtful, and courageous. He’s the owner of Thrd. Coffee Co. which is a coffee concierge service as well as a cafe in Bucktown. Despite a rough upbringing with school and family, he had a wake up call in his second a...
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2:27:35
152. Unifying Indian Culture With Beer ft. Bhavik Modi of Azadi Brewing
Our next guest is insatiably curious, hyper-focused, and charismatic. I got the sense that he’s always all in on the task at hand. That being said, he’s balancing a family, a full-time job as Chief Innovation Officer/Senior Partner at Cultivate...
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1:18:09
151. Finding Peace Through Acceptance with Visual Artist Katie Chung
Our next guest is Katie Chung. A visual artist based in Chicago. I was introduced to her work through her mural for Good Things Vending with Steph Krim! I then found out she's created pieces for Facebook, Google, Adobe, 360 Chicago at the Hanco...
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1:32:12
150. The Mischievous Child ft. Chef Mitchell Acuña
Our next guest is the Executive Chef of the new modern french restaurant Gavroche. He fell in love with cooking at an early age mainly from a functional aspect. He's an alum of Kendall College and has gained experience in kitchens like Alinea, ...
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1:58:13
149. Resilience Through Grief ft. Bernie Ambubuyog
Our next guest is Bernie Ambubuyog. A single mom, entrepreneur, and a MMA practitioner and color commentator. We reflect on her journey into MMA which was through her late husband Paul. She shares how the MMA community has become her second fam...
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1:40:08
[Takeover] Healing Ancestral Trauma with Jenn Dieas ft. Dr. Jon Mackoff
Jenn Dieas hosts Dr. Jon Mackoff in this podcast takeover. This is the third overall time these two have met and they're both great at holding space for self-inquiry. Some themes that they covered include the lack of safety Jenn experienced as ...
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1:19:49
148. Recruiting for Tech Giants like Uber and Netflix ft. Jeff Vadukumcherry
Our next guest is Jeff Vadukumcherry. Despite falling into tech recruiting, he's developed a mastery and fondness of facilitating "good fits." He reflects on how he and his now wife encouraged he each other to follow their dreams even if it mea...
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1:52:46
147. New Math Coffee ft. Mikey Rinaldo
Our next guest is Mikey Rinaldo (they/them) and they're the roaster/founder of New Math Coffee highlighting specialty Asian coffees. Mikey found coffee as an escape while pursuing their PhD in literature. There's this beauty in the ephemeral na...
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1:09:08
146. The Filipino-Cuban One-Two Punch ft. Lawrence Letrero
Our next guest is the Chef and Co-Owner of Bayan Ko and Bayan Ko Diner in Ravenswood, Chicago. The diner space was home to Glenn’s Diner for 17 years and now serves Cuban and Filipino staples all day. The OG location a couple doors east is now ...
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1:43:53